


Finally Home among the stars

by Katherine24



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, MAAS Sarah J. - Works
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27337558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine24/pseuds/Katherine24
Summary: Basically, Nesta acts impulsively and Feyre thinks it's a deeper issue even when Nesta tells her it's not, so she decides to act even more impulsively to shut Feyre up, bringing Cassian along from the ride!This is an alternative ending to my fic 'At Home Among the Stars' so read chapter 1 of that first (about 1600 words) and then this, is you like instant gratification rather than a slow burn or a more reckless Nesta or a Nesta and Cassian mating bond!
Relationships: Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Finally Home among the stars

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [At Home Among the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195356) by [Katherine24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine24/pseuds/Katherine24). 



> I may or may not have bothered to proofread, sorry.

Nesta was sick and tired of being asked how she was feeling. Rhys had come back with the healer and although there was no physical damage, the healer had suggested that maybe she should see a psychologist. When Nesta had given the healer a death stare, she had hastily added that it was a traumatic experience that she might want to talk about, but Nesta knew what she had meant and Feyre had practically treated it like a diagnosis. 

3 days. 3 days of being sat with. Watched. Monitored. She had tried to explain what happened, she really had. At first, it had been hard, she hadn’t wanted to open up her innermost feelings and lay them out for her friends and family to just pick through as they saw fit, but with each unsuccessful attempt to reassure them that they had nothing to worry about, she delved deeper into herself to try and explain all the events that had lead up to her running, full speed, off the edge of the roof. Temporary insanity didn’t seem to satisfy them.

Feyre had tried to convince her to move down to the townhouse, but Nesta had refused. Thinking that it would help keep a sense of normalcy, give her a bit of space from them. Boy had she been wrong. They had all moved up here. Every morning she ate breakfast with them, or they would come and seek her out. Every day she read in the library, with one or other of them not so subtly minding her. Every evening, they gathered for dinner. This evening, they had decided to make a night of it, so instead of retreating back to their rooms, they were gathered in a relaxed living room in the private parts of the house. The wine was flowing freely. The conversation had turned to how Cassian, Azriel and Rhys had passed the rites. Mor and Amren were rolling their eyes and trying to skip through the story as quickly as possible. They had heard it a million times before in the last couple of centuries and felt sure Elain didn’t need to. Cassian, Azriel and Rhys were beaming, each chiming in with different elements to the story. Nesta had no trouble believing they had told it a hundred times with the easy rhythms with which they spoke. Sometimes they spoke about how they themselves had contributed and sometimes they spoke up on each other’s behalf’s, glowing with pride about how their brothers were the true heroes. More than once, she glanced over at Feyre and smiled.

“Have to say though, I never want my wings bound for that long ever again. I was sore for weeks.” She tuned back into the conversation as Cassian flared his wings. He was sat on the floor in front of the sofa she was perched on and the rush of wind startled her. Luckily she had mastered her features before they snapped back down.

“5 days, poor baby. You pretend to have been born from the wild, but you’re as much of a posh bastard as Rhysand.” Azriel said in a mocking tone. Even from the side, Nesta saw a dark look pass over Cassian’s face, but it lightened as Rhys gave a gasp of indignation.

“Don’t lump me in with him. I can rough it.” They all burst out laughing then, even Rhys let the anger melt from his face.

“Your wings are bound during the rite?” 6 pairs of eyes turned to face her. Although she had been joining them for these little family gathering, she rarely participated.

“Yep. No siphons either, just pure, brute strength and survival instincts.” It was Cassian that answered her. He always seemed less shocked by her presence than the others and she was grateful for it.

A sly smile spread across her face. She knew how easy it was to provoke arguments by pitting the Illyrians against each other, such fragile male egos. “So you haven’t been tested on your flying abilities?”

The suggestion that any of them was a weak flier was preposterous, Rhys said as much, “centuries of combat would suggest that we are more than capable.”

“But who’s the best flier? Agility, speed, stamina.” Mor rolled her eyes, but Amren’s were glinting.

Surprisingly, Azriel had an answer. “Last time we raced, Cassian won: speed and stamina. Rhys doesn’t stand a chance because he doesn’t carry his around all day and his muscles are practically atrophying and I'm more built for agility.”

“200 years ago,” Rhys muttered.

“We can have a rematch if you _really_ think you can win? But you haven’t started carrying your wings around to gain muscle in the last 200 years and…” He turned and winked at Nesta. Her breath caught in her throat, but he had already turned back to the rest of them, “my wings are still the biggest.” A variety of groans and scoffs from around the room. Feyre peppered a few kisses onto Rhys’ shoulders and Mor quickly changed the subject.

An hour later, at least 4 empty bottles between them and the conversation had, inevitably, finally turned to Nesta.

“I just don’t understand.” Whined Feyre.

“Honestly Feyre, I don’t know what to tell you beyond what I have already said. You know all the thoughts that went through my head and all the things I have felt since, including that I feel like I want you to stop asking about it.” Nesta was losing her patience. She also hadn’t had quite as much to drink as the others, just in case they read into it. Enough to get a buzz going, but still walk in a straight line.

“You know you can’t fly, you know jumping from the top of the building would kill you and you still did it.”

“Yes, but I didn’t do it because it would kill me. I wasn’t thinking about that. Haven’t you ever just done something without thinking about the consequences.” Nesta tried to think of an example. “You have! You came back to Prythian to save Tamlin.” A collective groan at the name.

Feyre rose to the challenge locking eyes with Nesta. “If you jumped, you died. If you didn’t jump nothing happened. The choice was life or death and you chose death.” Nesta opened her mouth but Feyre wasn’t done. “I was in love. If I didn’t come back, the man I loved died. If I did come back, maybe we died, maybe I got to be in love. I chose between death and a loveless life or a chance at life with love. Those are not the same odds.” Nesta was honestly shocked. The words were a little slurred, but the logic was undeniable. Nesta let out a little frustrated cry. “Please just go and see someone who can help you.” Feyre’s voice was quieter now and it put Nesta over the edge, that tone, like she needed to be protected, even from harsh words.

“No, stop treating me like I’m suicidal Feyre. I’m not. I don’t need you all watching me as if at any moment you might need to save my life. I don’t need saving. Besides which, I make my own choices, who are you to stop me? Who are any of you to watch and dictate my life?” She knew she’d said the wrong thing. As valid as her point about choice was, it was irrelevant because she was choosing life, but Feyre had heard it, of course she had. When someone was inclined to believe you were a miserable wretch, they always focussed on the parts that proved their point.

“Nesta we love you.” Feyre exploded. “We are the people who love you, that’s who we are.”

Nesta was seeing red. She needed to do something to make them stop and listen. Her eyes snagged on Cassian’s wings and that same thought went through her mind and reckless as she was feeling, she leaned forward and whispered to him, “if you’re the fastest flier, do you think you can catch me again?” Cassian’s head whipped to her, but she was already off the sofa, running.

“What did she…” Feyre began to demand, but then she realised. Nesta was not running for the door. No, she was headed towards the open balcony.

Elain’s scream was the last noise Nesta heard as she dived off the balcony, leaping forward as she went to get as far away from the mountain as possible. Then all she could hear was the rush of wind in her ears. The familiar adrenaline rush went through her as she free fell towards Velaris. She had spread her arms and legs to slow her down, but the wind was tearing at her. Nesta fought against it and managed to roll herself over in the air. She watched as Cassian, only seconds behind her, made his body as sleek as an arrow and shot down towards her. She could have sworn that as blue-grey eyes met hazel ones, it was as if a thread was tied between them, reeling him in towards her.

This time she was ready for the impact of his body against hers and she grabbed hold of him. They fell together for a few seconds more and she couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t hear Cassian’s laugh, but she felt it against her chest before his wings snapped open and that familiar downward pull made them both tighten their grip. Instead of shooting upwards, he swept low over the city. Nesta was facing him, but she could see the lights flashing by beneath them; he was so fast. She could feel them start to pull up and he landed on the banks of the River Sidra, right at the top of the valley with a view over the entire city. It took her breath away, but Cassian didn’t seem to notice. He was hunched over with his hands on his knee, his breathing began to slow, but when he took a deep breath, Nesta looked over at him and when their eyes locked. He laughed and Nesta couldn’t help but laugh too.

It took them a few minutes to regain their composure, but when their eyes met that time, Nesta could feel a sense of pride and wonder coming from him. “Mates.” The word was barely more than a whisper, but it didn’t matter, because she heard him echo it, not out loud, but through that bond. His eyes went wide and he froze. They stood staring at each other on the grassy riverbank, neither of them saying anything for a long time. Until Cassian held out his hand and said, “We should, uh, go deal with whatever havoc you just wreaked.” But his face was far from angry, so she stepped towards him and he swept her up, before shooting into the sky. It was a far slower flight this time as if he didn’t really want to go face his family right now. “If you ever want to go flying you can just ask, you know? I heard what you said right as we landed last time and I know what you mean, the stars call to me too, so anytime you want to visit them, all you have to do is ask.” He paused, seeming unsure whether to go on. “You know, it kind of makes sense.”

“What does?”

“That my mate would hear the call of the stars too. And be unable to resist them.” Her answering smile was captivating and instead of flying straight to the balcony, he landed on the roof. The two of them just stared at each other, neither one of them stepping away. It was as if they were truly seeing each other for the first time.

  
Feyre stormed out onto the roof and the moment was gone, but when she looked between them, all the words died on her lips and she waved them off, “tomorrow,” she said and walked away. Nesta looked at Cassian and Cassian looked at Nesta and that thing between them went taught as Cassian whispered: “Having you as a mate is going to be an adventure, isn’t it?” 

_ Yes, _ she whispered through the bond.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have come here from my other fic, I wrote this after chapter 4 of the other one, so in terms of where my thoughts were at, I had thought about Feyre being quite pushy about it being a deeper psychological issue and about Cassian being her ally, but not about any of the stuff that I have yet to write i.e. the later chapters!
> 
> Please comment and tell me what you think, writers live for that!


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